Bokutachi wa Akuma: Chapter Twenty

It was another intervention day today for Mikiya, this time it was with a good friend. Mikiya had called Aiya to see if he would be available for it, and to his surprise he was. Aiya worked part time; which meant he only worked a few hours a day, days a week. He knew that Mikiya was coming over, yet Maruki knew nothing of this surprise visit. He thought that him and Aiya could have a nice quiet day off together at home, alone with Satsuki and Toki; he could possibly catch up on some video game playing as well. Later in the day just as Maruki was getting ready to play one of his video games, there was a knock at the door, startling Maruki. Aiya and Satsuki had darted to the door, opening it invitingly. Someone that had come to the door had screamed Satsuki's name, it had obviously been one of their friends.

 Maruki made his way to the door to see what all the commotion was about. Maruki's bright, coffee coloured eyes widened happily in seeing Mikiya again, and Maika as well. He made his way down the small, wide hallway to greet his guests politely.

"Mikiya, nice to see you again." He smiled brightly and looked over to their other friend. "Nice to see you too Mai. Haven't seen you in a while." All four of them were scattered out in the hallway, looking blankly at each other. It was an unexpected appearance for Maruki, and he was entirely unsure what to do.

Aiya looked around at the others three clapping his hands together loudly. 

"We'll, lets all go sit down." He was farthest from the living room, but he was the first of them to leave for it. "Would anyone like a drink?" They normally didn't have much to drink, neither of them liked unhealthy beverages, the only beverages they normally drank was tea, sweet tea, juice and water, and the occasional morning coffee. Soda or syrupy drinks we rare for these two. 

After they were all settled into their seats around the living room, Maika had looked to Mikiya, expecting him to do all the talking. Maika still had not fully agreed to this, but if it were what Mikiya had believed in, he would not fight it anymore. Mikiya had licked his lips slowly, not sure as to where to begin. He looked around the room and to the rest of the house; most to all of the curtains were open, filling the entire house with bright, natural light. 

"Maruki, you know I came here yesterday because I was worried about you right?" Maruki nodded, not understanding where this was going. "We'll I looked up some things last night on the Internet, hoping I found find out something. Anything." Mikiya dropped his head, looking down at the floor from between his knees. He threw his head back up and looked to each of the them for them for a moment.

"I could find only find one explanation. Only one." Aiya looked to Maruki, worry filling his feminine eyes. Maika dropped his head, waiting for his friend's insanity. Mikiya's narrow eyes looked from Maika, ignoring him, he knew he didn't agree with this at all. He stuck his finger up in a know-it-all manner. "Vampire." Maika's head dropped further, almost sinking between his knees. Aiya and Maruki looked to each other, stupefied. It was obvious by their facial expressions that they believed him just as much as Maika did.

"I know it's crazy, but just hear me out." Mikiya then tried to explain his finding from the Internet. “I know, I know, vampires don't exist, but everything you told me I typed in a search engine on the Internet and that is the only thing that kept popping up. All of the sites were vampire fanatics, and I know that they are fanatics and wish they were real and even reenact myths. I am a skeptical person, I believe in science and this is not something I wanted to believe either; but think about it Maruki, anything is possible right?” Anything was possible, if it were to have a logical explanation.

The more Mikiya continued, the closer he was to convincing Aiya and Maruki that it was a possibility. It was a frightening thought if he was a vampire, there was only one person who was always around him, they couldn't help but think what would happen if he attacked him.

"Wait, if I am, and I'm not saying I am. Why would Ruka have kept apologizing to me and saying it was his fault?" Maruki's gaze shot to Mikiya. "Wouldn't that make him a vampire too?" The day that he was attacked, the only clear memory he had was that Ruka kept apologizing to him.

Now that Maruki pointed it out, the question arose was if Ruka was a vampire or not. It could possibly answer some questions about Maruki's prior behavior. Having convinced Aiya slightly, Mikiya was still set on convincing Maika and Maruki, trying to think of ways to use Maruki in ways to convince him. Maruki knew nothing about being a vampire, but thanks to the Internet, Mikiya did and he was going to use Maruki as a test subject.

Even before Maruki or anyone could suggest getting in contact with Ruka, the now crazy Mikiya had already started asking Maruki typical, 'to the book' questions.

"Maru, can you eat?"

"I ate breakfast and lunch today."

"Could you taste it?"

"Yeah, it was good."

"What about drinking?"

He held up his glass.

"Yeah I'm drinking right now."

Mikiya let out a groan. "Garlic?"

"I don't know I haven't eaten it lately."

"Crucifixes?" 

Maruki looked to Aiya, remembering that he was wearing one. 

"What about it?”

“Looking at it?”

“ Yeah that's fine."

Mikiya let out a louder groan. "Sunlight?" 

"It’s bright to my eyes, but other then that it’s fine."

This was getting frustrating. There were not many more options for him in creative questions. There were typical questions like speed and strength, but if Maruki were unaware of it, he would not be able to prove it.

Aiya stood up, almost in sync with Maika; they were obviously thinking the same thing. He looked down to Mikiya, thinking this was one of the stupidest things he had ever come to believe, especially for Mikiya.

"I think this just proves that he's not a vampire." Aiya placed a hand on Maruki's shoulder, looking down to him confidently. "If you are still questioning it Mikiya, you can go ask Ruka kun, because I don’t believe you anymore." It had been coming up on two decades that Aiya had known Maruki, and he had confused feelings for him for almost half that time and he would not believe something so easily without Maruki thinking it as well.

This was yet another matter of faith, the skeptical Mikiya was positive that he was right about Maruki and he had to prove it. He did feel like he was going a little crazy and that he was out of his own comfort zone of sanity, but he was certain about this; and there were few things he was so certain about.

It was not the end of the conversation quite yet; Mikiya was not quite finished trying to convince them. The four of them argued back and forth a while longer before Mikiya had finally given up and stopped.

The day’s prior, the four of them kept their conversation a secret from the rest of the group until they were entirely certain as to why Maruki was feeling different, yet showed no visual differences at all.

With Mizuki's brother, Kazuki's help, they had finally got Ruka to agree for yet another formal meeting. It was going to be at Maruki's and Aiya's home this time, being out in public and asking the questions they had lined up was not a good idea. The four of them had already gathered in their house, all of them had hoped that the directions they had given Ruka were easy to understand. After waiting over a half an hour past the time they had said for Ruka to be there, they were all about ready to give up and stop waiting for him. The moment they were about to get up and leave, there was a knock at the door.

With all being as curious as Mikiya was at this point, all four of them had jumped up out of their seat and dated for the door at the same time. As solemn and cold as usual, Ruka stood at the entrance, wearing his black hoody over his head. He silently stood in the open doorway with all four males staring at him childishly for a few seconds before he stepped inside. Ruka removed his shoes yet kept his hood on, though he was slightly relieved that the curtains were closed. After greeting him creepily, all of them gathered in the living room again, their curiosity at its peak now with Ruka in the room now.

Because Mikiya was still the only one that was convinced, he was forced to do all the talking again. Looking to Ruka, Mikiya was very unsure as to how to ask his questions, having never had to ask them before in his life.

“So Ruka. I um, wanted to ask you something.” The conversations got moving very quickly, due to the fact that Mikiya did not know how to start subtly with someone he hardly knew, let alone knew at all. Mikiya was known for talking a lot when he was excited or nervous he started to monologue again. “I know this is probably the stupidest thing you have probably heard, but I wanted to verify some things because Maruki is our friend and we worry about him as if he was a brother. Now, I know you are new to the area, and having to live with my foster brother’s family must be very hard for you considering that you do not know them very well, but I did want to ask you if you were um, comfortable being with them.” When it came down to the main question, he paused; taking a deep breath, hoping Ruka would not get mad or offended at him for asking.

“Please don't get mad at me for asking this, and I beg of you, please don't laugh but, are you a vampire?”

He was silent for over a minute. The question was right on the button; he was just unaware as to how to answer. One of the other things his creator had mentioned to him before abandoning him on the first day was; do not let humans know the truth about his nature, they do not see a good person inside a monster. Be it he had helped a person in need, they would not see him as a good child, they would only see a monster in human form. Even after his long delay, his light brown eyes fell to the floor; he could not look at these innocent men as he answered. He nodded, slowly but noticeably.

All of them froze, Maruki especially. When Ruka kept saying to himself that it was his fault, ‘this’ is what he was talking about. Maruki felt strange, but to be a mythical creature of the undead? He felt one hundred percent normal in that category; he was just as he was every other day.  Vampires did not laugh, love, feel; Maruki did all of those. Maruki was the same person he had always been, and always would be. Maruki spoke up and asked if Ruka being a vampire had any reason as to who he was feeling guilty and apologizing to him that day. Ruka nodded again; in turn, since that day, he had not been suddenly tempted by blood like he was that day when he would smell it.

The truth came out, Mikiya was right all along, and he would be gloating about it soon enough. It had only taken him a few hours to figure it out, making his pride even higher, for once did he find out a mystery before someone else had. It did not change their feelings towards Maruki at all, he was still the same person that they all knew and loved. All of Mikiya, Maika, Maruki and Aiya promised that they would not tell a soul about Ruka's identity, nor would they say anything to the rest of the group about Maruki's new identity, especially Aiya. Maruki and Ruka mythical existence would remain a mystery and a secret from the rest of the world to protect them from any harm.

Even in knowing his unreal, mythical change, Maruki promised that he would not change a thing in his daily life. Now in knowing why his eyes were sensitive to the light so suddenly, he would think of a way to get around it and spend time with his friends outside again, the outdoors he loved so much. Maruki would not let something like a little sunlight bother him anymore, even if it would hurt for a while; he promised himself that he would get used it, despite how long it could take. Until the day that he would do what Ruka did to him, he would be on high guard for Aiya's safety, as well as his friends that he saw everyday for he seen them everyday and they were a pride for him to have them as such loyal friends.